Got gifts for gardeners?

I do. And you can win them from me — merely by sharing your own gift idea and a picture of a plant with winter interest. But first, this public service announcement from the Colorado State Division of Cuteness:

That’s Denver third-grader Danielle Emrich from Carson Elementary, and she’s got herself a prize-winning colossus of a cabbage there. She’s getting a $1,000 education savings bond from Bonnie Plants. The company, whose veggie plants you’ve surely seen for sale at any garden center you stumble into in spring, runs a third-grade gardening program and the students all grow the company’s giant cabbage variety (“Bonnie O.S. Cross”). Each class picks a winner whose name is then entered in a statewide drawing. Last year, 1.5 million kids in 45 states participated. Danielle was Colorado’s winner. Talk about laying down the slaw.

Back to the garden gifts: I’ve got seeds. I’ve got botanical art. I’ve got lotions and potions and tools and books. I’ve even got a PlantCam — this weatherproof gizmo that will take time-lapse photography of your prize dahlia doin’ its thang. And I’m giving them away, weekly ’til they’re gone. All you’ve got to do is e-mail me your gift ideas to sclotfelter@denverpost.com, preferably along with a JPEG of a plant you’re fond of.

Of course, I’ve got plenty of gift ideas. So you’ve got to to think of the ones that I haven’t. It’s a bit akin to the Amazing Race.

Gift idea No. 1: Compost bucket for the kitchen. You’ll want one sturdy enough to sit on the counter, big enough to hold a week or so’s worth of veggie trimmings and eggshells (or at least, in canning season, one batch of salsa’s worth of scraps). Personally, I think they shouldn’t have “shoulders” — those can catch decaying veggies when you’re trying to dump the thing, so a design that’s either got straight sides or tapers slightly, top to bottom, is best.

And I also love the idea of the Biobags that go in them. (Wouldn’t they be great for stuffing in the pockets of your dog-walking jacket as well?)

Tune in throughout the week for more gift ideas. And come Friday? I’ll give away a seed sampler from Botanical Interests, including some of their new native varieties that were a joint project from the Denver Botanic Garden.

A great gift for gardeners or even just observant garden watchers is “Garden Insects of North America” by Fort Collins entomologist Whitney Cranshaw. This 600 page book has thousands of photos and is organized so you can find out what you need to know about whatever is in your garden.

Susan Clotfelter

Sue’s right — I’ve used this book to identify bugs for folks who call the Master Gardener volunteer help line. And Whitney is just the rock star of Colorado entomology. His books combine clarity and ease of use with scholarly rigor and detail in a way that’s rare. If you ever have a chance to hear him speak, you simply must. He’s nine kinds of fun with a slice of crazy pie on top. I also like his “Bagging Big Bugs” and “Insects and Diseases of Woody Plants of the Rockies.” Just type him into an author search on amazon, or better yet, pick up his books from one of his talks or classes — he’ll be happy to sign it for you.

Sue Ballou

A great gift for gardeners or even just observant garden watchers is “Garden Insects of North America” by Fort Collins entomologist Whitney Cranshaw. This 600 page book has thousands of photos and is organized so you can find out what you need to know about whatever is in your garden.

Becky Hensley is the co-founder of Share Denver - a community craft space in Park Hill. She's also the proud Ninja-in Chief of the Denver Craft Ninjas -- a women’s crafting collective dedicated to keeping the DIY spirit alive through laughter, shared skills, and cocktails.

Colorado native Mark Montano is an international designer, artist, author and television personality. He has appeared on TLC’s “While You Were Out” and “10 Years Younger,” as well as “My Celebrity Home” on the Style Network, “She’s Moving In” on We TV, “The Tony Danza Show” on ABC, and “My Home 2.0” on Fox.